August-December 2017

My goal is going to complete the blog updates from the last million years and attempt to stay in real time from now on.  Blogging is something I really like, but it is so hard to maintain that on a regular basis!  I don't mean to neglect it, but it isn't something I can just sit and do unless I plan a time to do it.  

So thankful for this man and his health.

Open heart surgery in August and he was up and moving soon after.

My best friend lost her dad in October to the same kind of heart issue that Dad had.

Every now and again I catch myself thinking about Dad and Roy and how thankful I am.

I started coaching my girl last May and we had competitions through December of 2017.

It was a long season and it was hard, but we had fun!

I think she's ready to do it again and I am gearing up to coach again!

Hayes plays soccer and Libby does cheer.

The girls color on the sidelines while we watch soccer.

It is lovely.

Last season our soccer team was terrible.

As in, we never won a game.

This season was awesome and we went undefeated!

Cheer comp season was similar to LAST soccer season.

We didn't win one single competition during regular season!

We still had a GREAT time!

In October 2017 we put our house on the market and got full asking price in 10 DAYS!

Fall Festival at Winston is always a good time!

Our BFF Kinsley!

WES: year two.

Y'all.

I'm so grateful for those mommas who take '1st day of school pics' before school on the actual first day of school.  I get so many good ideas from them!  I'll be honest with you;  I take mine after school and usually just before bath time.  I can barely get myself up, dressed, out the door, etc. on time for school.  You can honestly forget adding photo time into that equation.  

So, here we go.

First grade with Mrs. Bragg and he's in LOVE with it.  His class is full of some of his very best buddies and some of the best kids I know.  I cannot wait to watch him grow and learn in the next 180 days.  I loved school and I love being a student.  I feel like he will be my studious child and for that, I'm grateful.

This girl started kindergarten with Mrs. Watkins.  She is thrilled with the aspect of social time every day.  She wants to wear a dress and a matching hairbow every day too!  She came home sweaty and so tired, but she loves every minute of it.  Her learning will be different and more challenging for all of us.  She tries hard and works every day at her homework with a gleeful attitude.

Daryk and I started our 11th year together as educators at the same school together this fall.  I know some people think it is crazy to work alongside your spouse, but I do enjoy working with him.  I like spending time with him and seeing his relationships with students.  He has a different crop of students than I do, and I so appreciate their interactions.  

Here's to a new year and some amazing kids, both at home and at school!

Part 2. D 2.

We are about one week away from our next trip to Disney World.  I figure I should probably finish blogging about the last one before I forget...

Dumbo.

Always a big hit.

See?  Big hit!

They will look like giants compared to this trip.  And Libby's braids are twice as long...

All things pink.

Photo Dump from the iPhone.

New cousin to play with at our playground.

She loves the Cochrans and we love her!

All smiles with Aunt Kitty!

Yes.

We went there.

Hospital selfies with my kiddos while visiting my mother in law last fall.

Get Your Pink On race at WES.

Last NC

Have wolf ears... will travel....

Last stop, GA rest area.

What is this bizarre water pump thing?

I got this mom.

Libby perfecting her pose with the giant bulldog.

Chubby baby with bulldog.

Here momma.... take my picture with this awesome doll.

Wait, what is this?

Coloring on the Cabbage Patch Kid table.

Next stop... Babyland General in Cleveland GA....

NC 1

In honor of Buddy and LeLe coming to visit us this weekend, I thought I would FINALLY get around to writing about our journey to North Carolina back in June.

Oops.  

In June we spent a ridiculous amount of time in the car and drove to see my sister and brother in law.  We loaded up everything but the kitchen sink and traveled to the tiny town of New Bern NC for a few days.  On the way up there we stopped at CFA in some random spot in SC or NC and had dinner.  Our first stop was Charlotte and a visit with some dear friends who we used to babysit when they were MY kids' ages!  

My girls.

Morgan--who was barely a year old when we first met her.

So sad and so happy she's all grown up!

Our dear friend Brandon had QUITE a time with Spencer.  She is so friendly and he was happy to help entertain while she played!  He made us an awesome breakfast of s'mores french toast, bacon, eggs, coffee, etc.  It was FABULOUS!  Charlotte was our halfway point and we spent the night with the Hess crew before we made the rest of the journey to New Bern.

Clearly Elizabeth enjoyed herself...

Finally, summer!

Strategically placed baby bell blocks the nekkid baby bottom.

Oh, this one.

I love her so.

And him.

When did he get so grown up?

I miss chubby hands.

Ice cream in the yard daily.

Or driveway.

And the Queen was pushing the Princess around the yard for good measure.

I love sweet summertime.

Mason Creek

I have two sweet girls who are less than afraid of most the things in the world.

We spend more time rescuing them from pending death or injury than we do anything else...

The creek was no exception.

See, Spencer?  You just put your feet in like this and Mommy won't care...

Dining al fresco

Y'all remember last week when it was sunny and warm?  

And today we had to light the fire and it was St. Pat's Day....

Dear Georgia Weather,  please get it together and get warm.  Also, I'd like an actual spring season... 

Plus, I'd like to dine outside again with my little people.

Thanks, Carrie

Borrowed?

We may or may not have watched one of those links on YouTube where they have movies that haven't quite made it to a video source just yet.  One Friday night long ago in a land far away we watched Frozen.  The next morning the same link didn't work.  They cried.  I cried.  We all shed a tear for the movie that wasn't....

So I promptly called my BFF (who shall remain anonymous--for her own protection of course) and asked for a copy of the movie she technically didn't already have either.  Mind you, both of us have already pre-ordered it from Amazon and expect it to arrive on the correct ship date in March, but there was NO way my children were going to understand that we had to WAIT 6 more weeks.  Wasn't going to happen.

Bless my anonymous BFF and her husband for sending a copy right along our way!  We secured it JUST before the nasty ice storm (round 2) in Georgia and watched it at least 8 times in 3 days.  The entire family has roamed around singing every song at the top of our lungs for the last 2 weeks.  You don't know the words?  YouTube it.  Learn them.  You'll thank me later.

Run or Dye

Just getting warmed up and checked in....
This is the part where you wait in line for the porta potties...

Hayes is so cooperative for photos.
He just loves them.
Pre race/pre color.

Again, with the cooperative child.
Isn't he so pleasant?

We found some color in the parking lot that we touched and threw at each other.
Libby LOVED it... Hayes still hates his life.

We do not like loud music.

See?

We were blue after the first color and SMURF attack!
Once we started moving Hayes was MUCH nicer to deal with.
I really think they liked running through the city.

And we are all finished!
I meant to snap a picture after every color so we could see the progression, but I failed.
We ran most of the way taking turns with our stroller and having water as we went!
The kids LOVED it!



These two are just so sweet!



I finally got a smile-ish from Hayes!





We had so much fun running in Atlanta for the Run or Dye race.
I love these 'fun' races that aren't stressful or timed.
It was nice just to be able to have fun with my kids and husband!